It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.
If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.
I am in the midst of #NaNoWriMo and have been at an educational conference for four straight days so my reading was minimal this week.
The Past Week
Picture Books
This was an interesting book because it is told from the perspective of a young girl and her family is transient. They are called travelers because in the summer they go from place to place as her father seeks work. The author shows that some family members value that and overall the book affirms this lifestyle.
Middle Grade
I bet that Jeffrey Brown was not going for the term "adorable" when he wrote this, but that is actually what he managed. This is essentially a published fanfic and it will be a winner with elementary students. I will post a more thorough review later this week.
Young Adult
I guess I should have read the blurb more carefully - or maybe I didn't even read it, but this was not what I expected. The book is narrated by a gay man or men who lived in times when AIDS was just beginning to gain national attention. The narration is bittersweet as he is unable to step in and do anything. The narrator is a spectator as two boys try to break the world's record for kissing, several other couples work through their relationship issues, and one young man flounders in depression. It was a powerful book. I just didn't realize it would be from an adult perspective.
Professional
For one of the conferences I attended this week, this was the text. I found many helpful bits of information here, but I also appreciated the reminders of classroom procedures and protocols that I have used in the past that are great for student responses and interactions within the classroom. The conference and book both got us thinking about culturally responsive practices and I am excited to do some re-decorating, try new things in the classroom, and begin to have more discussions about culture with our staff.
The Coming Week:
I really have no idea what I will be reading. I have two different piles of books from the library and several books as digital ARCs, but I am behind on my #NaNoWriMo and will have to kick it into gear to get caught up so I am not sure how much reading time I will have this week. What will you be reading?
